Is it drama or is it misogyny?


Behind the “clashes” on the web between public figures often lies a good dose of sexism. Journalist Lucie Ronfaut analyzes it in this new issue of Numerama’s #Rule30 newsletter.

I don’t like fighting. I did boxing for a few years, with rather mixed results. I also don’t like getting involved in online fights. On the other hand, I admit a certain fascination for the confrontations of others. The salty remarks, the spades that hit the mark, the ” drama “, as they say. It’s not something I’m proud of. It is also something, I imagine, shared by many people. In an online world where everything is content or reactions, it makes sense that content that gets people reacting gets our attention.

Last week the washington post published a lengthy investigation into the misogyny that plagues YouTube. When we think of the sexism of the video platform, and more generally of social networks, we imagine the classic elements of cyberbullying. Hateful comments, abusive denunciations of a channel so that it disappears, dislikes in shambles, etc. However, the article insists on another aspect of this misogyny: the videos of creators who publicly attack others. The phenomenon would have worsened with the lawsuit which opposed Johnny Depp to his ex-girlfriend Amber Heard (which I had spoken about at the beginning of the year here), and which was the subject of numerous ultra-viral sexist contents, and therefore lucrative. However, according to the designers interviewed by the washington post, YouTube moderation would do little to stem the phenomenon. ” For the company, this is not harassment or hate campaigns, but rather drama between creators.»

“The right and far-right media ecosystem has understood that harassing famous women, even more when they are black and racialized, can pay off big.” (Melissa Ryan is a consultant and author of the Ctrl Alt-Right Delete newsletter, dedicated to online misinformation and toxicity)

The story between Booba and Magali Berdah is not just “drama”

This is a phenomenon that is repeated often, and which goes beyond YouTube. He reminds me of another case, this time in France: that of the ” conflict (I deliberately use quotation marks) which opposes rapper Booba and Magali Berdah, an agent specializing in the representation of reality TV stars on social networks. If you missed this story, I recommend reading this enlightening summary by journalist Constance Vilanova, published by Stop on Images.

She notes that if the activities of the agent are indeed decried, long before Booba is concerned about it himself, the methods of the rapper to denounce them are of a rare violence, and inspire his fans to overflows in all kinds. Disclosure of personal information, sexist and anti-Semitic remarks, threat of broadcasting an alleged sex tape… Faced with this torrent of hatred, few voices are raised to defend the victims, either for fear of digital reprisals, or because believe that they deserve this harassment as a punishment. ” Women in reality TV are always wrong. Guilty of coming from working-class backgrounds, guilty of using their bodies as a marketing tool, guilty of having made mistakes. never forgiven », sums up the article. ” Men, however homophobic or anti-Semitic they may be, can rest easy.»

The idea is not to say that women are incapable of making mistakes, being stupid, or simply doing something we disagree with. The idea is to recognize that we are part of a system. That of our society, which favors some people over others according to unfair criteria. But also that of a web that rewards instant opinion, anger and sexism. Even without bad intentions, we are a cog in this machine. Difficult to have a nuanced reaction. Difficult, even more, not to react at all. How not to play the game of platforms, of people who have every interest in provoking the conflict? This is the subject of an editorial recently published by Melissa Ryan, American consultant and author of the newsletter Ctrl Alt-Right Delete, dedicated to online misinformation and toxicity. She is interested in several recent cases: the racist harassment of Meghan Markle, the Depp-Heard trial, the rumors around the filming of the film Don’t Worry Darlingdirected by Olivia Wilde.

The author underlines that these stories are different, but have in common to be exploited by a galaxy of media and influential accounts on social networks, sometimes very clearly anti-feminist. She finally compares them to online manipulation operations. ” If the media wants to cover these topics, they must first think about who benefits the most “, she concludes. Is it drama, or is it misogyny? Either way, women lose out.

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The press review of the week

Game of gender roles

I must confess to you my fairly total disinterest in Game Of Thronesand therefore logically for house of dragons, prequel currently airing. However, I found this analysis interesting in Numerama on the evolution (in this case, its absence) of the place of women in this new series. Should gender-based violence always be used as a narrative tool? Of course, watch out for spoilers for house of dragons.

menstruate in peace

Flo, one of the biggest players in the menstruation market, announced last week the launch of a ” anonymous “, which would allow Internet users to use the application without their data being linked to their identity, their email address or their IP. Last year, the company was accused by the FTC, the American consumer protection police, of sharing confidential information with third-party companies without the consent of its users. More details at The Verge.

Racism and misinformation

The American magazine mother jones looked at a particularly gloomy phenomenon: people claiming to be black on social networks in order to disrupt a political debate and spread disinformation online, based on the racism of Internet users. This system was recently illustrated in the discussions around the Ukrainian conflict. But many other examples exist, some dating even before the development of the internet. It’s a long survey (in English) that I encourage you to read here.

Are you writing to me when you get home?

When you are a young woman, you often get into the habit of informing your friends of your whereabouts, and vice versa, for security purposes. In Mexico, a country particularly affected by feminicides and kidnappings, this phenomenon is reflected in private Facebook groups or conversations on WhatsApp, whose members watch over each other. It is to read (in English) on Rest of World.

Something to read/watch/listen to/play

unnamed

In the kingdom of Iradene, the king reigns under the protection of the Rook, a god who manifests himself in the form of crows. In exchange for his power, the deity demands a human sacrifice when the bird that symbolizes him dies, thanks to the suicide of the sovereign in place. This cruel balance is upset by the sudden disappearance of the king, without paying his debt. The kingdom is in danger, faced with hostile neighbors and their own power-hungry gods. The heir to the throne, Mawatt, therefore sets out to find his father. But it is his aide-de-camp, the discreet Eolo, who will find himself in spite of himself at the heart of all the plots.

Like any good fantasy story, it’s hard to sum up the plot of the Black Rook Tower in a few lines. The universe is dense and the pillars of the story relatively classic: gods who demand sacrifices, powerful families who tear each other apart. However, Ann Leckie (also author of the brilliant SF series Ancillary Justice) knows how to create surprise by small touches, with an original narration (the story is entirely told in the second person singular, I swear to you that it works!) and a complex and touching hero. If you’re a heavy fantasy reader, you may be less surprised by some twists and turns in the story. But for novices, it’s a solid novel, showing you the best of genre literature, avoiding the worst.

The Rook Tower, by Ann Leckie, J’ai Lu editions

The data transmitted through this form is intended for PressTiC Numerama, in its capacity as data controller. These data are processed with your consent for the purpose of sending you by e-mail news and information relating to the editorial content published on this site. You can oppose these e-mails at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe links present in each of them. For more information, you can consult our entire personal data processing policy.

You have a right of access, rectification, erasure, limitation, portability and opposition for legitimate reasons to personal data concerning you. To exercise one of these rights, please make your request via our dedicated rights exercise request form.



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